Hello I am new to this forum and to model railroading. I am using the woodland scenics incline sets for my train to go up into the mountains on my layout. I am wondering what to use as a base on top of the foam incline under the cork track bed. The inclines have gaps cut out so they will bend. Is cardboard ok or do I need something a little more solid? I have seen pieces of balsa wood that are thin and be cut to fit the curve. Oh yes my incline is on a curve also. I appreciate any ideas Thanks Dave!
You can just caulk the cork down on the foam risers. Put a decent bead down and bed the cork in. You can use pins to hold the cork going around the curves. Just make sure you use something to press the cork into the caulk to remove any lumps n bumps. The caulk can be any latex type caulk, which will set up in about 24hrs, but it also dependant on how thick you have it. Just resist the urge to mess with it until it is set.
I guess my problem is there will gaps because the roadbed will not cover the top of the incline. When I go to ballast and all that it will fall down in the gaps on the incline. So I am wondering what to put on top of the foam before i caulk the roadbed down. I also want something to help keep the noise down. Thanks Again Dave!
The company that sells the inclines suggests using plaster cloth to cover them before putting down the roadbed. This will cover the gaps with a base for the start of the terrain. I am almost to the point that I will have to do the same thing. I am going to use plaster cloth or plaster soaked paper towels over the inclines and the cardboard skeleton of the surrounding terrain, and then use some form of ground goop for the base. If you do this, you will have to make sure the area where the roadbed is layed is very flat and smooth. I anticipate having to sand the tops of the inclines before putting down the roadbed.